Stylish, Surfer-Friendly Aulta Watches for Men

These timepieces look good and can keep up in the water.

By Natalie Schack

Published: 2015.07.07 10:30 AM

You’re chasing the clock when you’d rather be chasing the waves. The only thing you’ve been getting stoked for is Pam from HR’s homemade cookies in the staff kitchen. And your board meetings? Let’s just say they’ve got too much in the way of annual reports and not enough surf reports.

Lately, you’ve been neglecting the work/life balance. We get it. Sometimes you can’t afford to unplug—even to leash up. Here’s something to drop in to your ensemble that may help: new, Hawai‘i-based watch company Aulta, founded by pro surfer Pancho Sullivan, avid surfer and entrepreneur Abe Allouche, and watch industry consultant Marty Pomphrey. Designed for the career guy who’s also all about killer waves, these sturdy watches are stainless steel and water-resistant, so you can stay on the clock, even when you’re in the water.

And did we mention they get a hang-ten in the style department? Each of the two current designs comes in six different color and band combinations. Masculine yet understated, the Seaward’s chunky sans-serif typography and Japanese-style date movement are pretty off-the-hook. The sexy chronograph-style face of the Leeway, which also measures seconds, minutes, hours and days, is sure to look swell on any dude’s wrist, no matter what type of suit he’s wearing. And, speaking of sweet sets, each month, the brand will introduce a new style into the collection.

Don’t bother browsing surf shops for these watches. The fledgling company is seeking to skirt traditional methods of distribution by selling exclusively through aultasurf.com in a direct-to-customers business model. What does that mean for you? A price point to really get excited about, with each watch going for $85–$105.

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Lei Chic Editor Natalie Schack has been a cultural anthropology student, museum worker bee and dabbler in graphic design. When she isn’t scouting new fashion, compiling to-do lists or crafting puns, Natalie spends her free time dreaming up elaborate picnic ideas; “researching” via YouTube tutorials, blogs and Instagram; and dusting off her pith helmet for the next adventure life throws her way.